Weird Fiction and the Cult of Obscurity

Yeah, I'm far from alone in preferring Clive Barker to most of the small press authors we're discussing here. Sometimes good artists get popular. Not often, but sometimes.

I'm aware that Hidden X is just trolling, but there are people who have aired similar thoughts in earnest, and they're untenable. I even like some of Stephen King's work.

[Zaharoff]

I have never been too keen when one of my more obscure passions gets spied by the mainstream.
Asian cinema - Nick Drake - unknown Horror scribes

BiblioBabe Kat reviews Apartment 16 by Adam Nevill - YouTube

[Kevin]

Nick Drake. Now THERE'S a name worth dropping.

[Druidic]

When you're young, if you're a fan of obsure books and authors or even of rock music, you feel vindicated when your favorites are obsure. You feel it confirms your discernment and wonderful taste. As you mature you realize a certain truth: if artists in any media don't sell their 'product' they aren't going to make too many more albums or publish too many more books.
It's a sad thing when the artists who give you the most pleasure aren't commercial hits or 'popular.' You know that popular is largely trash, conforming with the lowest common denominator... yet still its a bad deal when quality stuff is relegated to the discount bins.

[Justin Isis]

Quote Originally Posted by James

Yeah, I'm far from alone in preferring Clive Barker to most of the small press authors we're discussing here.

Said this before. Clive’s reputation currently going through its “lull” period where he’s not respected much and not really dropping anything new of note. BUT...he might even have to be dead before it happens, but when he gets rediscovered/”reappraised” it’s going to be nothing but legendary acclaim. His best work is easily on the same level as anything that anyone of note has done (Lovecraft, Ligotti, etc.).

Quote

...which I imagine Jeff VanderMeer would love, if only he could take a break from reading the mainstream, puffy-meets-edgy stuff which he keeps promoting lately. So take a break Jeff, go buy this book and start reading something serious for once and you will see you will become once again one of my kewl guys.

That’s describing a Brendan Connell book, yeah? Wouldn’t be surprised if Jeff has in fact read it, seeing as he wrote the intro to another Brendan book and has interviewed him before and put him in anthologies.

Laird Barron, incidentally, was once described as “horror fiction’s equivalent to Brendan Connell.” Make of that what you will.

I get the impression that this reviewer hasn't read (or comprehended) much Brendan Connell because Barron doesn't remotely resemble Connell, either in form or spirit.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Nirvana- Seregil has written long detailed reviews of 10 Brendan books.

Zaharoff- does BiblioBabe Kat represent the mainstream? Hasn't Adam Nevill always been quite successful?

When a good thing becomes mainstream without compromises, the world is doing something right.

[Zaharoff]

Thank you, Robert. I do not believe BiblioBabe Kat does represent the mainstream.
In my opinion, the mainstream now reads as little as possible.
An actual book would be intellectual kryptonite.
As far as Mr Nevill being quite successful, I believe success ain't what it used to be. The New York Times bestseller list is one yardstick, the Man Booker prize is another. Financial remuneration is always lovely.
Fame and glory in Horror - limited, genre success - and I suspect the scribe is still eating ramen noodles and faux crab.
Then again, I may be wrong.
My looking glass is a harsh reminder.